The term “valve metal” represents a group of metals including aluminum, tantalum, niobium, titanium, zirconium, etc., all of which form adherent, electrically insulating metal-oxide films upon anodic polarization in electrically conductive solutions. The performance of valve metal anodes in an actual capacitor depends upon several factors, e.g., the effective surface area of the anodes and cathodes that can be contacted by electrolyte, the dielectric constant of the oxide formed on the metal surface, the thickness of the oxide layer on top of the metal surface, the conductivity of the electrolyte, etc.
In the context of medical devices, capacitors are typically charged and discharged rapidly for delivery of low voltage or high voltage stimuli. Upon or during detection of a potentially lethal arrhythmia, suitable electrical transformer circuitry charges one or more high voltage capacitors using a low voltage battery as a charge source. Then, at an appropriate time the energy stored in the capacitor(s) discharges through a pair of electrodes disposed in or near a patient's heart. The discharged energy is used to terminate the arrhythmia and restore organized cardiac activity. Medical devices that deliver cardioversion and/or defibrillation therapy include automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and ICDs. For purposes of the present invention, an ICD is understood to encompass all medical devices having at least high voltage cardioversion or defibrillation capabilities. In most all medical devices, energy, volume, thickness and mass are critical features. The battery(s) and high voltage capacitor(s) used to provide and accumulate the energy required for the effective cardioversion/defibrillation therapy have historically been relatively bulky and expensive.
Other applications for the electrodes of the present invention include various high-energy density commercial and industrial applications such as batteries among others.
Thus, the medical device and other industries have been working towards smaller battery and capacitor volumes while maintaining high energy density. A family of high capacitance electrodes and methods of producing same in an efficient and industrially robust manner, such as proposed herein, contributes toward the success of these on-going efforts.